Decorating

Nick Kerchum's Vancouver home LEEDS the way

Nick Kerchum's home may have many environmentally friendly features, but they don't come at the expense of a polished, contemporary interior look.

Photograph by: Glenn Baglo
, PNG

Nick Kerchum's house definitely stands out from its Craftsman-style neighbours in the west side of Vancouver.

The sleek, contemporary residence has distinctive horizontal lines both inside and out, and a pronounced terracing effect from the roof overhangs; at certain junctures, it almost looks like cubes or blocks have been strategically stacked atop each other.

There's more behind the design than simply a desire for style. Kerchum began planning the home in late 2006, with the goal of making it as environmentally friendly as possible. It's the first LEED Platinum-rated home in Western Canada, and is also rated Built Green Platinum.

Those roof overhangs create cooling shade in the summer, and bring the sun's warmth in during the winter. Oversized rectangular tiles of black basalt on the main floor absorb heat during the day, and release it into the evening. Both are aspects of passive solar design.

Solar tubes on the roof heat the hot water for the house, and four green roofs help manage stormwater run-off. Trellised apple trees and other food-bearing plants reduce the carbon footprint associated with filling the family pantry.

A number of these measures are becoming more and more commonplace as interest in sustainable design grows, but they were fairly unusual at the time when Kerchum began planning the home five years ago.

"I had a vision that this was something people would be very interested in," he says. "I wanted to be an early innovator - it was so new, we even had certification issues, because the Canadian Green Building Council hadn't even been set up yet. We registered through the U.S. one and switched halfway through."

Kerchum was more motivated than most to persevere; he and boyhood friend Galen Evans were on course to set up their own green-focused construction company, Natural Balance Home Builders.

It took two years to complete, but the home has subsequently won a number of national building awards. It now serves as the ultimate show home to demonstrate a range of environmentally friendly construction methods, as the offices for the business are in the basement. Kerchum and his family live in the floors above.

Many eco-conscious buyers find it confusing to sort through all of the different rating systems that are out there. Different systems focus on different elements, says Evans, and there are varying amounts of time, effort, and expense involved.

"LEED has more categories, for instance, than Built Green," explains Evans. "It's a more accurate representation of a home's impact on the environment, but there's two to five times the paperwork involved, and a higher expense."

"People are feeling a bit dumb; they don't understand all of the acronyms - but no one understands it all! If you're not in the building or design industry, why would you?" Here's his quick definition list: . LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. It was originally developed for commercial buildings, and then adapted to residential use. It's a rating system that's fairly well known across North America. Builders try to earn points in categories that cover the construction process as well as the ongoing use of the home. Depending on the number of points earned, a home can be designated LEED Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum, with Platinum being the highest level available.

- Built Green is a certification process used in B.C. and Alberta, administered by members of provincial home building associations. The checklists aren't as complicated or long as those for LEED, say Kerchum and Evans.

- The property development arm at the University of British Columbia uses its own designation of REAP, or Residential Environmental Assessment Program. Simon Fraser University has its own development guidelines for on-campus projects.

- R2000 is a federal government standard that's existed since the early 80s. It's essentially a pass/fail system -you either meet the conditions for the standard or you don't. It's being reviewed, and the new program is expected to be much more aggressive about energy targets.

- EnerGuide numbers are straight math; they measure how much power a home uses. Every additional point means a boost in energy efficiency of three to five per cent.

Halbig says it's a good baseline for consumers. The average older single family home probably has a rating of 66; LEED and Built Green both require a minimum of 72. The Kerchum house is rated at an astounding 88, which means it uses 60-70 per cent less energy than another home of the same size. It gets exponentially harder to get each additional point, as there is there is a finite level of efficiency.

Halbig says consumers also have to look at the construction process, and see how choices around materials, landscaping, and water usage are evaluated.

He recommends that anyone contemplating applying for a certification should first do an in-depth evaluation with a certified energy adviser.

"They can check where you can apply for incentives or rebates, and also where you can best spend your money. If you're only experiencing a six-per-cent heat loss in your attic, it doesn't make sense to spend 20 per cent of your budget on more insulation there."

He also says bringing in a certified energy adviser during the design process of a new home can mean significant savings.

The stickiest question of all may be how much these ratings or certifications will ultimately mean for an increase in value for a home.

Halbig admits it's a complicated question.

"Some of these investments require a long-term view. Look at your time frame -if you're going to be in the home for less than five years, it may not pay off," he says.

"But also project forward. What will energy costs be in 10, 20, or 30 years, and will buyers be willing to pay for a house that saves them money right now?" He also points that many other home improvements, like kitchen and bathroom renovations, don't involve any return on the investment until the home is resold. However, improved energy efficiency has an immediate impact on the bottom line.

Kerchum, Evans and Halbig all agree that while it may take research and spending some money to meet environmental certification standards for home construction, it does pay off in better quality of life inside the home. While significant progress has been made in multi-family developments, the single-family home is one of the areas where the most work needs to be done.

The trio says it only makes sense to get the help of an expert in such a relatively new area, if only to navigate what a certification truly means.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Househunting Newsletter

Receive the latest in real estate news, decorating and renovating tips every two weeks in the househunting.ca newsletter.